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Nymeria Martell
Nymeria Nymeros Martell, known better as Nymeria Martell and Old Nym to her family was Princess of Dorne following her father, Trystane Martell. A warrior first and foremost, Nymeria became Princess of Dorne well into her life after her father's death following the First War of Reclamation, and would lead her kinsman through the Dornish Rebellion, outliving at least one of her children before passing herself in 366 AC. She was the last wielder of Scarab, the Valyrian Steel spear of her house. Known to be aggressive in politics and crass with her enemies, Nymeria learned how to play the game at the knee of her grandfather, Doran Martell. And whilst she was the only trueborn child of her father and his consort Gwyneth Yronwood, she does have two bastard half-siblings -- Korra Sand and Marselen Sand, who were both far younger than her. The only nieces, nephews and grandchildren that Nymeria would ever meet would, in fact, also be bastards. She passed Dorne onto her granddaughter, Alysanne Martell. Appearance Nymeria was proud of the scars she had won personally fighting in various skirmishes and eventually the battle for Sunspear throughout the Dornish Rebellion. Age took it's toll early on her than most, however, leaving her early with fine lines of seniority and sagging skin. By the time she passed of sickness, her mane was nearly white from the stress, but was described to maintain that same prideful fire that had dominated her youth as a spear-wielding Princess. History Birth Born to Prince Trystane Martell and consort Gwenyth Yronwood in 312 AC, it's said that Nymeria's coming is what might have saved that particular marriage. Two stillbirths had preceded her, with Sunspear's own Maester wondering if Gwenyth would even be able to bear children. Nymeria proved her frail mother's viability, but also disproved it in an instant. It became clear that any further pregnancy would be highly dangerous to Gwenyth, as she had barely survived Nymeria's birth in the first place. Childhood Nymeria spent most of her child years, predictably, in the Martell's beloved Water Gardens alongside her grandfather, Doran Martell. Whilst most of it was great fun and excitement, not all of it was leisurely. As she was likely the only grandchild Doran was ever to know, he went to great pains to ensure she understood what her role would inevitably be in the future once him and her father passed. It was grave information for a child, but Nymeria took it in stride. Teenagehood When Doran finally passed away in 324 AC, Nymeria’s father, Trystane Martell, would ascend as Prince of Dorne. And just a year later, in direct contradiction of the maester’s warnings, Trystane would also lose his consort Gwenyth in the birth of yet another stillborn, leaving a teenage Nymeria motherless. Angry at her father for still choosing to bed his wife with the risk of death already known, their relationship became distant in the wake of her death. Still, this did not stop Prince Trystane’s duty as a father -- And soon he matched his heiress to a scion of House Allyrion, a strapping lad named Andrey. It would still be some time before their wedding as there was a need to wait for maturity, which meant there was time for courtship. To say that Nymeria rebuffed the boy would be an understatement of the situation; it was born majorly out of rebellious dislike for her father, with some remarking that perhaps she should have been named 'Arianne' instead of 'Nymeria'. At their first feast together at Godsgace, the Allyrion seat, Nymeria poured a cup of strong Dornish red into the boy’s lap after he ventured to compliment her. It’s said that even the singers stopped to see the lordling's reaction, and that Prince Trystane’s face grew far redder than the spilled drink. And yet, somehow, Andrey avoided his own anger. He merely remarked at how the Princess had spilled her wine, and promptly deposited his own in her own lap in retaliation, like the brazen young fool he was -- Ruining the expensive garments she had chosen to wear. And, somehow, despite all that should have been felt, Princess Nymeria fell in love. If only to cause further strife. It was a happy coincidence that theirs would turn to be a love match. Adulthood Once married in 332 in Sunspear when Nymeria was twenty, it’s believed the new Prince Consort gave his wife their first child on their wedding night. Though, judging by how fast her pregnancy proceeded, this timeline is likely incorrect, and it’s unsurprising that the betrothed were likely bedding each other in the months proceeded their wedding date. Regardless of semantics, Nymeria would birth a healthy baby boy in 333 AC, surly and strong, and screaming like the wind. He was named Quentos, and was a future Prince of Dorne. Nymeria wept on the day of his birth, it was said, and would not stop crying until her son fell asleep in her arms. It was also, some say, the last day Nymeria Martell ever wept. Nonetheless, Quentos Martell was heartily beloved in Sunspear, and his parents were smitten. So smitten, that a year later the second babe would come just as easily to Nymeria and her consort -- Rylona Martell, a little princess. Meanwhile, as Nymeria flourished in motherhood, Trystane floundered in his fatherhood. He could not bring it upon himself to take another wife, already wracked with the guilt of inadvertently killing his first one and knowing the wrath such a move would bring from his daughter. He even once remarked that he expected any new wife of his to be found mysteriously dead, no doubt as his own child's hands -- Though, the legitimacy of such a claim is questionable, as it was never in Nymeria's nature to kill wantonly, and especially within her own house. And yet still, the Prince of Dorne was human, sadly. In 334 AC two women would come to Sandspear swaddling babes, both claiming them to be Trystane's bastards. Forced to take them in as his own, Korra Sand and Marselen Sand would join the Martell household and would be be raised among Nymeria's own children. Awkward, considering they were her half-brother and sister by blood, yet younger than her oldest son. Never one to be outshone, however, Nymeria was with child within the year of her siblings' arrival, and gave birth to her last child, Moran Martell, in the next year. The First War of Reclamation It would be five years of peace in Dorne for Nymeria, then, five years in which to rear her children and live a somewhat quiet life. When the raven came summoning banners for a war, however, Trystane answered -- As did Nymeria. Leaving her children in the care of Sunspear's household, she, her husband and her father would ride with the Dornish forces in the First War of Reclamation in support of the Iron Throne. They would find success throughout the campaign, with Trystane even finding himself named the savior of King's Landing by King Loras I Baratheon himself. It was also the war that would earn Nymeria the majority of her battle scars, experience with war, and first true blood. Nymeria's father's reign would continue for 3 years after the war. The battles therein would have put a good strain on Trystane's health, and he would eventually pass away, bed ridden, from relatively unknown health causes. Nonetheless, his death was the end of an era in Dorne, and Nymeria ascended as Princess of Dorne at the age of three-and-thirty. Tenure as Princess Her first actions as Princess were to match her oldest to someone strategic. It became evident that Quentos was not interested in any girls from Dorne’s own houses, so when Nymeria sent a missive to nearby Lys, one family-- and one girl --responded to the call for a bride. Laerra of Lys, with her silver-beaten hair and cobalt-blue eyes, was every inch a Lyseni beauty, the daughter of a rich merchant who was interested in winning Dorne’s favour. Her dowry was only outshone by her hair, the rumours went, and Quentos was said to have fallen head over heels the moment he saw her exit her ship in 346 AC. They would be betrothed for four years as Laerra was warded to the Martells in that span of time, learning of Dorne's customs and culture in preparation for her role as eventual consort, and amusing her new betrothed with the customs and guile of her home. When they were eventually lavishly married early in 350 AC, it was perhaps the only time Nymeria would ever get close to weeping again, out of sheer joy for her son and her new daughter. Later that year, however, is when tragedy would strike the Martells. They had been in the good graces of the gods for too long, and it was time for the scales to be rebalanced. Laerra would only be the Prince’s wife for less than a year before she died in the birthing bed like Quentos’ grandmother before him; this time, birthing three fair-haired triplets for the Martell house. When Nymeria was brought the news she was said to be thrown into a fit of vicious, painful anger, tearing her own clothes and crying as if it really was her own child who had passed. And yet, ever dutiful, she would personally sail to Dorne with one of the few ships at the Martell's disposal, to deliver the body of Laerra to her family. But through the loss of one came the birth of three. Alysanne Martell, Arianne Martell and Ashara Martell were healthy despite the hardships of their birth, and were swiftly doted upon. After all, one-- The Maester presiding had determined it to be Alysanne --was the eldest, and one was the heir. Just one year after Laerra's passing, Quentos would remarry Lady Dyanna of House Dayne. Whilst she would soothe the prince's heart, it would not repair it entirely. Nonetheless Dyanna was swiftly pregnant, and would give birth to Daeron Martell, Quentos' only son, within in the year. The Dornish Rebellion Houses Gargalen, Toland, Dayne and Uller would rise up in rebellion to the Iron Throne with a few Reach lords in 356 AC -- The Dornish Rebellion, as it was called. Martell, and by extension Princess Nymeria, had intended to stay out of the conflict as much as possible, but soon enough the capital came knocking with demands. To ensure Martell did not join their rebellious bannermen-- Even if they did not intend to --They were bidden by royal decree to ward one of their children with the Baratheons of Storm's End. And so Daeron was separated from his mother and sent to the true seat of House Baratheon. Once Daeron had been safely received at Storm's End, Nymeria raised her own banners. Her daughter Rylona would watch over the children, with Nymeria riding out to meet the rebels in the sandy field with her sons and half-brother. They would have an early victory, but were eventually pushed back to Sunspear when House Gargalen besieged them. Nymeria was said to laugh from the walls of Sunspear and spat on any suggestion of surrendering the castle. The viper had been awoken, and she would not be the Princess who would lose their home. In truth, Martell was in trouble; their bannermen were tied up with the rebels, and there would be no relief found. After days and nights of contemplation, Nymeria's husband Andrey stole out into night and rode to Godsgace to bring his family's support personally to Sunspear, but was killed by the Gargalen rebels on his return trip to his family. When Nymeria had heard of her husband's death and seen his head beyond the walls of Sunspear, her anger was said to be unparalleled. When House Martell broke the siege with the help of House Allyrion, Scarab, her Valyrian Steel spear, drank heavy of Gargalen blood. The same could not be said of Prince Quentos, Nymeria's eldest -- He was found with a leg gored by countless wounds, just beyond the besieged walls. When the Maesters had finally gotten their hands on him, it was too late for the limb, and he lost his leg at the hip. Grieving for her husband, Nymeria was never the same woman. She'd ensured Andrey would lay to rest with his ancestors at Godsgrace and had erected a pillar in the Old Palace at Sunspear as a monument to him. That was where she spent most of her time in the time following the Rebellion, allowing her children to run Sunspear for a time. Her son and grandchildren would eventually depart for the Water Gardens, Quentos seeking the comforts of his great-grandfather with his new inability to walk. His wife Dyanna would go with him, and the girls, with Moran Martell often travelling between the summer palace and Sunspear. Rylona Martell would coverty take up some management of Dorne as her mother recovered from losing her father. A Question of Succession Tragedy did not stop haunting Nymeria Martell, not by a long shot. Recovering enough following the death of her consort Andrey, she was eventually able to fully reclaim control of Dorne and reassert herself as Princess, her daughter Rylona regulated back to an advisor. She met often with Moran and Rylona but did not see Quentos again until his death in 362 AC. The event would come as a shock to the Princess, especially as she had assumed her son was happy with his children. She ordered his body to be interred at the Water Gardens, and his children brought back to Sunspear, where she declared Alysanne Martell as her heir. It was her right, after all, as Quentos' eldest daughter.Category:Dorne Category:House Martell